Business sector dismayed at Qantas grounding

The Australian Hotels Association of WA has accused Qantas of grounding its fleet when the country was at its most vulnerable.

The Association's CEO Bradley Woods says the company could have delayed the decision by several days.

"The Qantas board deliberately chose to take this action at a time when Australia was most vulnerable in the context of CHOGM being in Perth, the Melbourne Cup, a range of major sporting events throughout Australia," he said.

"I believe it's very disappointing that the Qantas board has made this decision at a time when Australia is in the international spotlight.

"It's a decision that could have been easily delayed by two or three more days, the fact that they've left passengers stranded with no notice is very disappointing."

Mr Woods has warned that jobs in the hospitality sector will start being cut if the dispute isn't resolved by mid-week.

"If this dispute is not resolved very quickly we will see long term damage to Australia's reputation, long term damage to our tourism and hospitality sectors at a time when many businesses can least afford to be damaged even further," he said.

The WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the grounding will have a dramatic impact in Western Australia.

The CCI's chief executive officer James Pearson says Western Australia's economy depends heavily on air travel because it is such a large state.

Mr Pearson is calling on Fair Work Australia to put and end to the disruption.

Tourism WA also says the Qantas decision will have a significant impact on an industry already under pressure.

The organisation's CEO Stephanie Buckland says WA's isolation makes it more dependent on air travel than other states.

She says it is hoped the international impact will not be so severe with 16 other airlines servicing Perth.

You have no doubt been hearing a lot about the Paris Agreement and know that it pertains to climate change, but are too embarrassed at this stage to ask for an overall explanation of what it's all about.